


Holding On

by Soulstarsinger (soulstar)



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Episode Tag, Episode: s01e06 Dalek, Ficlet, Gen, Hugs, Reaction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-03-24
Updated: 2006-03-24
Packaged: 2018-02-09 06:25:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1972311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soulstar/pseuds/Soulstarsinger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Reaction and relief.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Holding On

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to acid_lee for an excellent beta job!  
> DISCLAIMER: Not mine, more's the pity. The Beeb owns all.

The Dalek's self destruction was pretty spectacular, leaving Rose blinking in the after-burn of the explosion. She didn’t notice the Doctor burst into motion. Before she knew what was happening, the gun had fallen to the floor with a clatter and he had wrapped himself around her. Rose instinctively clung to him as her knees buckled, and they both staggered briefly before regaining balance.

"Hey," she murmured, her voice somewhat muffled by having her face pressed into his leather jacket. "Hey."

He said nothing, just made a choked-sounding noise into the crook of her neck where his face was buried. Rose squeezed her eyes shut and breathed in the comforting scent of leather and the Doctor. Half bent backward by the strength of the Doctor's grip, she should have been horribly uncomfortable and wriggling to get away. Instead, she was stroking soothing hands up and down his back and perfectly content to stay right there, holding on to him for as long as possible. She gave herself up to the moment.

After a while she felt the Doctor relax a little, and he loosened his hold on her enough that they could both stand straight. He raised his head and rested his forehead against hers for a few seconds, his eyes closed. He then straightened up fully, his lips brushing Rose's forehead for a fleeting instant before he finally met her gaze.

"I sealed off the bunker. I condemned you to death." His eyes were dry, but red rimmed. His expression was agonised. "If it'd killed you..."

"But it didn't!" Rose interrupted him. "I'm fine, not a scratch. You did what you had to do."

The Doctor closed his eyes again briefly. "I thought I'd lost you." 

"Nah," Rose gave him a deliberately cheeky grin. "Didn't I tell you you're stuck with me?"

He snorted with almost-laughter. "Yeah, that's true. You did. Dunno why I was ever worried."

"You're cacking yourself about what my Mum would do to you if you brought me back with so much as a bruise, that's what.” She put on her best overdone-movie-trailer voice and said, “You fear the Wrath of Jackie Tyler!"

He laughed this time, and pulled her back into a quick, hard hug before releasing her altogether. "Well, yeah. She might slap me again! It hurts!"

Rose snickered. "Good job I'm around to protect you then, isn't it?"

He just rolled his eyes. "C'mon, let's get back to the TARDIS. I think we're done here."

Rose took the Doctor's proffered hand and fell into step beside him. "So, we’re not bothering to say bye to anyone then?"

"Depends who we bump into on the way..."

END


End file.
